Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous PrefectureXishuangbanna, Sibsongpanna or Sipsong Panna, shortened to Banna, is an autonomous prefecture for Dai people in the extreme south of Yunnan Province, China, bordering both Myanmar and Laos. The prefectural seat is Jinghong, the largest settlement in the area and one that straddles the Mekong, called the "Lancang River" in Chinese. This region of China is noted for the distinct culture of its ethnic groups, one that is very different from that of the Han Chinese.
Thonburi KingdomThe Thonburi Kingdom (ธนบุรี, thōn būrīː), or the Early Bangkok Empire (1767–1851), was a major Siamese kingdom which existed in Southeast Asia from 1767 to 1782, centered around the city of Thonburi, in Siam or present-day Thailand. The kingdom was founded by Taksin the Great, who reunited Siam following the collapse of the Ayutthaya Kingdom, which saw the country separate into five warring regional states.
LaosLaos (ˈlɑːoʊs), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR or LPDR), is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia. At the heart of the Indochinese Peninsula, Laos is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and southwest. Its capital and largest city is Vientiane. Present-day Laos traces its historic and cultural identity to Lan Xang, which existed from the 13th century to the 18th century as one of the largest kingdoms in Southeast Asia.
Tai folk religionThe Tai folk religion, or Satsana Phi (ສາສະຫນາຜີ; ศาสนาผี, /sàːt.sa.nǎː.phǐː/, "religion of spirits"), or Ban Phi (Ahom: 𑜈𑜃𑜫 𑜇𑜣) is a form of animist religious beliefs intermixed with Buddhist beliefs traditionally and historically practiced by groups of ethnic Tai peoples. It is a syncretic mixture of Buddhist and Hindu practices with local traditional beliefs in mainland southeast Asia. Tai folk religion was a dominant native religion in mainland Southeast Asia until the arrival of Buddhism and Hinduism.
Shan StateShan State (ရှမ်းပြည်နယ်, ʃáɰ̃ pjìnɛ̀; မိူင်းတႆး Möng Tai), also known by the endonym Shanland, is a state of Myanmar. Shan State borders China (Yunnan) to the north, Laos (Louang Namtha and Bokeo Provinces) to the east, and Thailand (Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son Provinces) to the south, and five administrative divisions of Burma (Myanmar) in the west. The largest of the 14 administrative divisions by land area, Shan State covers 155,800 km2, almost a quarter of the total area of Myanmar.
SavannakhetSavannakhet (ສະຫວັນນະເຂດ sā.wǎn.nā.khȅːt), officially named Kaysone Phomvihane (ໄກສອນ ພົມວິຫານ); since 2005 and previously known as Khanthaboury (ຄັນທະບູລີ), is a city in western Laos. It is the capital of Savannakhet Province. With a population of 125,760 (2018), it is the second-largest city in Laos, after Vientiane. Although the old French colonial quarter of the town, along the Mekong River-front, is depressed and crumbling, the town's proximity to Thailand's booming economy has brought about new commercial development in the northern part of the town, near both the river crossing and the bus terminal.
Khmu peopleThe Khmu (kəˈmuː; Khmu: /kmm̥uʔ/ or /kmmúʔ/; ກຶມມຸ kɯ̀m.mūʔ or ຂະມຸ khā.mūʔ; ขมุ khā.mùʔ; Khơ Mú; ; ခမူ) are an ethnic group of Southeast Asia. The majority (88%) live in northern Laos where they constitute the largest minority ethnic group, comprising eleven percent of the total population. Alternative historical English spellings include Kmhmu, Kemu, and Khammu, among others. The Khmu can also be found in southwest China (in Xishuangbanna in Yunnan province), and in recent centuries have migrated to areas of Burma, Thailand and Vietnam (where they are an officially recognized ethnic group).
Khorat PlateauThe Khorat Plateau (ที่ราบสูงโคราช) is a plateau in the northeastern Thai region of Isan. The plateau forms a natural region, named after the short form of Nakhon Ratchasima, a historical barrier controlling access to and from the area. The average elevation is and it covers an area of about . The saucer-shaped plateau is divided by a range of hills called the Phu Phan Mountains into two basins: the northern Sakhon Nakhon Basin, and the southern Khorat Basin.
Mor lamMor lam (Lao: ຫມໍລໍາ; Isan: หมอลํา mɔ̌ː lám; หมอลํา, , mɔ̌ː lām) is a traditional Lao form of song in Laos and Isan. Mor lam means 'expert song', or 'expert singer', referring to the music or artist respectively. Other romanisations used include mor lum, maw lam, maw lum, moh lam, mhor lum, and molum. In Laos, the music is known simply as lam (ລໍາ); mor lam (ຫມໍລໍາ) refers to the singer. The characteristic feature of lam singing is the use of a flexible melody tailored to the tones of the words in the text.
Lao rebellion (1826–1828)The Lao Rebellion of 1826–1828 (also known as Anouvong's Rebellion or the Vientiane-Siam War) was an attempt by King Anouvong (Xaiya Sethathirath V) of the Kingdom of Vientiane to end the suzerainty of Siam and recreate the former kingdom of Lan Xang. In January 1827 the Lao armies of the kingdoms of Vientiane and Champasak moved south and west across the Khorat Plateau, advancing as far as Saraburi, just three days march from the Siamese capital of Bangkok.
